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 | I, like most of my patients, suffer from significant pollen allergy symptoms. But unlike many people with hay fever, who have sneezing, nasal congestion and a stuffy nose, I tend to get mostly itchy eyes. When the outdoor pollen counts are high, I feel it most in my eyes. My eyes itchy at the corners, sometimes sting and burn, and are often red. Rubbing them makes the symptoms worse. So, I tend to use various medications to treat my eye allergies, which include allergy eye drops and oral antihistamines. What works best for itchy eyes? It depends on who you are -- there is no "one size fits all" therapy. Often, treatment starts with the use of cold compresses and artificial tears to wash out the pollen. I find that keeping the artificial tears in the fridge before use adds results in immediate soothing. Medicated allergy eye drops, including over-the-counter and prescription forms work well for many people, but leave nasal symptoms untreated. Lastly, oral antihistamines work well for the treatment of both eye and nasal allergy symptoms, and are also available in many over-the-counter versions. | |
All About Eye Allergies
Symptoms of eye allergies, or allergic conjunctivitis, include watery, itchy, red, sore, swollen and stinging of the eyes. Itching of the eyes is the most important symptom of allergic conjunctivitis. Without itching, it is much less likely that a person is suffering from allergies of the eyes. Both eyes are usually affected, although one eye may be more symptomatic than the other.
| Over-the-Counter Allergy Eye Drops
Certain kinds of over-the-counter eye drops can only be used for short periods of time. Most over-the-counter allergy eye drops contain topical decongestants, like those found in Visine (naphazoline), which should only be used for a few days at a time. When topical decongestants are used long-term, a medical condition called conjunctivitis medicamentosa can develop. Symptoms may include an increase in eye redness and irritation, with more dependence on the eye drop for relief.
| Why Can't I Just Use Visine?
Visine and many other over-the-counter (OTC) eye drops are not good choices for the treatment of eye allergies. Many OTC eye drops contain topical decongestants, such as naphazoline and tetrahydrozoline, which act to decrease redness of the eyes. Some OTC eye drops combine topical decongestants and topical antihistamines, such as found in Visine-A and Opcon-A. While these various eye drops are effective for the short-term relief of eye redness, as well as eye itching when the topical antihistamine is added, the long-term use of topical decongestants can lead to side effects.
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